kampala, ugandaReuters —
Uganda’s King Oyo Nimba, who became the world’s youngest monarch when he ascended the throne in 1995, has died at the age of 34, the country’s prime minister has announced.
Uganda is a republic, ruled by an elected head of state, although several traditional monarchies still govern pre-colonial kingdoms. Although their political power is largely symbolic, their cultural and social influence is enormous.
Oyo Nimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV was the king of Toro, a small kingdom in western Uganda near the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the passing of King Omukama of Toro, Oyo Nimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV,” the Kingdom’s Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomyele Akiiki said in a post on X late Thursday night.
Akiiki said the king died around 10pm local time on Thursday, without giving a cause of death.
Rukidi IV was crowned on September 12, 1995, at just three years old, after the death of his father, Rukirabasaija Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III.
Balam Bargahara, a cabinet minister in President Yoweri Museveni’s government, said shortly before the king’s death was announced that he was receiving treatment in the United States.
“This is an incalculable loss,” the prime minister said, adding that the unmarried king had an heir and “continuation on the throne is guaranteed.”
His death sparked an outpouring of grief across social media platforms in Uganda and received widespread media coverage across the country.
“Most shocking news! May His Majesty the King’s soul rest in eternal peace,” Bobi Wine, a Ugandan pop star turned politician and the country’s main opposition leader, said in a post on X.
In April, in a message celebrating the King’s birthday, Prime Minister Toro said, “Our King is not divorced from the realities of his people. He is part of this generation, part of this ecosystem, growing, learning and leading… His youth is not a limitation. It is a strength. It brings energy, fresh perspectives and the courage to imagine a different future for Toro.”
